Population data for Texas are provided by the
Texas State Data Center, Population
Estimates and Projections Program. The Texas State Data Center (TxSDC) web site provides a detailed discussion of
its methodology and programs. Texas Health and Human Services Commission
(HHSC) is responsible for coordinating population data among HHSC agencies,
including Texas Department of State Health Services.

Texas Health Data
offers both estimates and projections for all Texas counties by age
group, gender and race/ethnicity in the following series.

The user of the data presented here should be
aware that HHSC and Texas Department of State Health Services use population data from
two Texas State Data Center programs, Estimates and Projections.
Briefly,
estimates through 1999
are based on revisions of 1990 census data to reflect birth and death trends. Population
estimates for 2001 through 2009 are based on 2000 census data updated to
reflect currently available data on births, deaths and other public information.
Projections extend from 2013 through 2020;
they are produced using a model of projected births, deaths, and migration rather
than actual records. Both estimation and projection models use estimates
of migration rates. These estimated migration rates are produced by the
TxSDC using several migration scenarios. This results in more than one projection
series. HHSC has designated the "2000 - 2010 Migration Scenario" to be the current standard for HHSC
agency population projections. See the SDC
site for more information on migration scenarios.

Most programs at DSHS use population estimates
for the years for which they are available, and projections for subsequent
years (currently 2013 onwards). Each year, as the State Data Center
provides new estimates, based on newly available demographic data, the
set of projections for that year is replaced by the new estimates.
In addition, periodically, both the estimates and the projections may be
updated for a whole series of years.

Because each series is produced by different methods, different years may not follow
smoothly from one series to the next.
If the data are to be used in trend analysis, or other comparative treatments, unexpected results may
be obtained if data from different series are used. In addtion, race/ethnicity categories are defined
differently for each decade. Please see the
CHS FAQ for more information.